Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-03-03
Depth to Cover Seeds.


Seed time is almost here and the depth
TO cover the seed of our garden and farm
crops soon to be palced in the soil is a
question of Importance. The rule given
US by seedsmen is to cover all seeds two
or three times their diameter. Either of
these debths would not be best for all
crops of any kinds of soil. If we cover
seeds three times their diameter timothy
seed would be covered about one-sixth
of an inch; onions one-third and Mar
rowfat peas one inch. This is over one
third as deep as is best on most soils and
for all except in wet seasons. First when
planting or sowing all farm seed, we
should be governed by the character of
the soil. Soils vary in their power to re-
tain moisture. One kind of soil will dry
to the depth of one inch as soon as
another would one-fourth of an inch.
Second We should be governed by the
character of the seed, the time required
for termination aud the strength of the
young plant. Turnip seed will terminate
in half the time required for the beet,
and for this reason can with safety be
planted at less depth. Carrot seed pro-
duces feeble plant that can not break
through a firm soil if sown deep. Seeds
that will germinate at low temperature,
can with safety be covered with less depth
of soil, because soils are not as dry early.
Seeds that require high temperature to
germina.e, like corn and melons, can not
with safety be planted shallow, because
drouths are more common at corn plant
ing time. If we could always know what
kind of weather would follow sowing
until seeds had time to terminate
we should have but little trouble to get
agood stand of plants, if perfect seeds
always used. Seeds should be de-
posted Just as low as will secure moist
ure to insure termination and generally
no deeper. A few years ago experiment.
ed with onIon-seed, sowing at different
depths in five kinds of soil; I did this TO
satisfy myself what was the safest depth
to SOW the seed of this crop. On the 7tl,
of June / soWed 125 Onion-seeds, each of
which at the following depths: one-haif
one, enc and one-half inchse, and two and
One-half inches. The soil was moistened
with a sprinkler before the seed was sowIf,
and twice during the experiment. The
one-half inch depth gave 100 plants; the
one inch ninety-six plants; one and one
half inch sixty-si plants, and the two and
one-half inch but twelve plants. This trial
satisfied me that for common field cul-
ture for all soils one inch deep was the
best. Had the soil not been moistened
this depth would have given the best re-
suits. The five kinds of soil in the eK-
pertinent were firm black sand, loan,
muck, clay and light sand. The light sand
from twenty-five seeds gave twenty three
plants one inch deep, and but twenty
plants when sown but One-half an inch
deep; ten plants one and one-half inches
deep, and four plants two and one-half
inches deep. The clay soil gave twenty
three plants at one-half an inch, twenty
one at one inch. sixteen at one and one
half, and none at two and one-half inches
deep. The muck, loan and black sand
gave most plants at one-half an inch
decp. The muck gave six plants at two
and one-half inches deep, and each of the
other soils but one plant each that depth.
Formerly / sowed clovor and grass seed
after my grain crop was narrowed in and
rolled, or pushed my land after the stock
ing. I became satisfied that in dry sea-
sons lost much of the grass seed by too
shallow covering; | have for few years
past mixed all my clover and grass seed
with my grain and sowed it together with
the seeder with satisfactory results. AL
though the four past seasons have been
dry my stocking has been good without a
single failure; this l owe to deeper SOW
ing than formerly.